Industry News
In This Section
News about the aerospace industry curated by AIAA staff
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Decision on Boeing Starliner Crew’s Path Home Expected Saturday Per NASA
23 August 2024
Reuters reports, “NASA said on Thursday it expects to announce on Saturday its decision on whether the two astronauts who rode Boeing's glitchy Starliner spacecraft... -
NASA to Continue to Study Orion Heat Shield Issue Before Stacking Artemis II Rocket
22 August 2024
Ars Technica reports, “NASA would like to start stacking the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis II mission—the first human flight... -
Electra Aims to Revolutionize Aviation with Hybrid Electric Aircraft
22 August 2024
Northern Virginia Magazine reports, “How does a quick flight from Manassas to downtown Manhattan sound? It’s in the works. Electra.aero, a next-gen technology aircraft company... -
ESA’s JUICE Jupiter Probe Glides Past Moon in Historic Flyby
21 August 2024
Scientific American reports, “Europe's JUICE Jupiter probe swung by the moon for a 'gravity assist' on Monday (Aug. 19), and it snapped some photos to commemorate the historic encounter. -
B-2 Stealth Bombers Complete Transpacific Flight to Australia
21 August 2024
FlightGlobal reports, “Northrop Grumman B-2 stealth bombers from the US Air Force completed a transpacific flight from their base in the USA, making a night landing... -
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink Satellites from Cape Canaveral
20 August 2024
Spaceflight Now reports SpaceX has launched 22 more Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force... -
Boeing Pauses 777-9 Test Flights Due to Structural Component Issue
20 August 2024
Flight Global reports Boeing confirms it “has halted flight tests of its entire 777-9 test fleet after discovering the failure of an engine-related structural component... -
Russian Progress 89 Cargo Ship Delivers Supplies to Stranded Astronauts
19 August 2024
BBC News reports, “An uncrewed Russian cargo ship successfully docked at the International Space Station early Saturday (Aug. 17) to deliver tons of fresh gear, food and other vital supplies. The cargo ship... -
State Department Approves Sale of Sidewinder Missles to Canada
19 August 2024
Defense Daily reports, “The State Department last Friday said it has approved a potential $264.6 million sale to Canada of AIM-9X Block II... -
Amazon Selected as 1 of 6 Participants in U.K. Drone Trials
16 August 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “The U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is launching a series of trials to integrate drones into the country’s everyday life. The CAA... -
Russia On Pace for Lowest Number of Launches in 6 Decades
16 August 2024
Ars Technica reports, “A Progress cargo supply spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan early on Thursday, local time. The mission was successful... -
Gulfstream Aerospace Begins G400 Flight-test Program
16 August 2024
Aviation International News reports, “Gulfstream has officially begun the flight test program for its G400, successfully completing its first flight on August 15. The large-cabin twinjet... -
Future Flight Global May Purchase Up to 116 Air Taxis from Archer Aviation
15 August 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation this week secured another purchase order agreement for its flagship Midnight air taxi... -
SpaceX Launches Two Earth-imaging Satellites to Orbit
15 August 2024
SPACE reports, “SpaceX launched two Earth-imaging satellites today (Aug. 15), continuing to build out the WorldView Legion constellation... -
Alaska Airlines Becomes First Commercial Operator to Invest in JetZero’s Blended Wing Body
14 August 2024
Aviation Week reports, “Alaska Airlines has become the first commercial operator to declare serious interest in the blended wing body (BWB) aircraft under development by JetZero, signing options for an undisclosed number... -
Intuitive Machines to Lead Coalition in Pursuit of Taking Over NASA’s VIPER Lunar Rover
14 August 2024
Space News reports, “Intuitive Machines says it is organizing a coalition of organizations that will offer to take over a NASA lunar rover... -
Piper M700 Cleared for Unpaved Field Operations by FAA
13 August 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “Piper Aircraft's M700 Fury has received FAA approval for unpaved field operations, the company announced Monday. According to Piper, the M700 Fury... -
Airbus and Astroscale Expand Collaboration On In-Orbit Servicing
13 August 2024
Space News reports, “Airbus is expanding its partnership with in-orbit servicing venture Astroscale to explore ways... -
Helicopter MRO Market Projected to See Steady Growth
12 August 2024
Aviation Week reports, “Global helicopter MRO demand is projected to surpass $81 billion through 2033. The 2024 edition of... -
NASA Issues RFI on Potential VIPER Partnerships
12 August 2024
Space News reports, “NASA is requesting concepts from companies and organizations willing to take over a robotic lunar rover that the agency announced last month it would cancel... -
Archer Aviation to Operate Electric Air Taxis in Los Angeles by 2026
9 August 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation is adding a third major U.S. city to its planned air taxi network... -
NASA Shuts Down NEOWISE Spacecraft, Closing More than a Decade of Asteroid Observations
9 August 2024
Spaceflight Now reports, “A spacecraft that helped bolster planetary defense is now at the end of its operational mission. On Thursday, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California sent the Near-Earth Object... -
Beta Granted FAA Approval to Begin eVTOL Pilot Training
8 August 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “Beta will train additional company and FAA personnel using dual controls on its flagship electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) Alia 250. -
Starliner Crew May Return Home with SpaceX in 2025
8 August 2024
The New York Times reports that for weeks, NASA has downplayed problems experienced by Starliner, but on Wednesday, NASA officials admitted... -
First MH-139A Grey Wolf Delivered to US Air Force
7 August 2024
Defense News reports, “Boeing announced on Monday it has delivered the first production MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter to the U.S. Air Force.” Boeing's MH-139A Grey Wolf is slated... -
NASA Chief to Make Final Call On When Starliner Crew Returns Home
7 August 2024
Ars Technica reports, “NASA on Tuesday confirmed that it is delaying the launch of its next astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Crew 9, until at least September 24. This is a significant slip... -
Joby Aviation Applies for FAA Type Certification in Australia
6 August 2024
Reuters reports, “Electric air taxi maker Joby Aviation said on Tuesday [that] it has formally applied for its aircraft to be certified... -
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus Cargo Freighter Arrives at ISS
6 August 2024
SPACE reports, “Northrop Grumman's robotic Cygnus freighter reached the International Space Station (ISS) early Tuesday morning (Aug. 6), carrying about 4 tons... -
U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Tiltrotor Shifts to Next Development Phase
5 August 2024
Defense News reports, “The U.S. Army’s future long-range aircraft is moving out of technology development and into the critical engineering and manufacturing development phase, the service announced Friday. -
Cygnus Spacecraft Experiences Glitches After Launch
5 August 2024
Space News reports, “A Falcon 9 launched a Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station Aug. 4, but the spacecraft suffered problems that have delayed maneuvers... -
Air Force Says 2023 V-22 Crash Caused by ‘Catastrophic’ Mechanical Failure and ‘Casual’ Crew Decisions
2 August 2024
Breaking Defense reports, “Air Force investigators have determined the fatal CV-22B crash that occurred off the coast of Japan in November was caused by a ‘catastrophic... -
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 23 Starlink Satellites from KSC
2 August 2024
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched its latest batch of Starlink satellites, increasing the company’s mega-constellation in low Earth orbit. The mission came as SpaceX works towards the launch of a cargo resupply mission... -
USAF Prepares for Early Start to Next-Gen Tanker Program
1 August 2024
Aviation Week reports, “The U.S. Air Force hopes to speed up its next-generation tanker program with potential new-start authority in its... -
Panelists at ASCEND Discuss AI Challenges and Promise
1 August 2024
Space News reports, “Space organizations are continuing to identify promising applications of artificial intelligence, according to speakers at the AIAA ASCEND... -
Boeing CEO Anticipates Max 7 and 10 Certification in First Half of 2025
1 August 2024
FlightGlobal reports, “Boeing chief executive David Calhoun thinks the company could have its 737 Max 7 and Max 10 certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration in the first half... -
NASA Demonstrates Streaming 4K Video from Aircraft to Space Station
31 July 2024
Aviation Week reports, “As part of an effort to develop communications systems to transmit video feeds of astronauts on the Moon during Artemis missions... -
NASA On Track for August Launch of Crew-9
31 July 2024
Space News reports, “NASA is pressing ahead with a mid-August launch of the next Crew Dragon mission while delaying the first operational flight of Starliner. -
Tesseract Ventures Launches Agricultural Drone for Crop & Data Management
31 July 2024
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Tesseract Ventures has launched the dual use application of its cutting-edge military technology and specialized robotics platform... -
ULA Launches Atlas 5 On Its 100th National Security Mission
30 July 2024
Spaceflight Now reports, “United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket marked its swan song when it comes to launching critical missions connected to U.S. national security. A launch at dawn sent up a classified payload as part of the United States... -
Air New Zealand Becomes First Major Carrier to Pull Back from Climate Goal
30 July 2024
BBC News reports, “Air New Zealand has abandoned a 2030 goal to cut its carbon emissions, blaming difficulties securing more efficient planes and... -
SpaceX Successfully Completes 300th Booster Reflight
29 July 2024
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX continued its post-mishap resurgence with the first of planned back-to-back launches in the early morning hours of Sunday. -
Embraer’s Eve Unveils First Air Taxi Prototype
29 July 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “Eve Air Mobility, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi subsidiary of Embraer, this week joined a select group of eVTOL... -
FAA Clears Falcon 9 to Resume Launches
26 July 2024
Space News reports SpaceX is ready to resume Falcon 9 rocket launches as soon as July 27 after completing an investigation into an upper stage anomaly two weeks earlier. -
Joby Completes Landmark 523-Mile Hydrogen-Electric Flight
26 July 2024
Aviation International reports, “Joby Aviation, a next generation aviation company, today announced it has successfully flown a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-electric air taxi demonstrator 523 miles, with... -
NASA’s MESSENGER Discovers Mercury Has Layer of Diamond 10 Miles Thick
25 July 2024
SPACE reports, Using data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, scientists have determined that the solar system's tiniest planet, Mercury, hides a not-so-tiny secret: “a 10-mile-thick diamond... -
Safran Joins Boeing X-66A Sustainable Flight Demonstrator Project
25 July 2024
Aviation Week reports, "Boeing has selected Safran to provide the electrical power generation system for the airframer's X-66A aircraft which is in development as part of... -
NASA Readies Artemis 2 Core Stage for Vehicle Assembly Building
24 July 2024
Spaceflight Now reports the massive 212-foot-long core stage of the Space Launch System rocket arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center late Tuesday morning. -
General Dynamics Business Jet Revenue Increases 50%
24 July 2024
Reuters reports that General Dynamics reported an 18% rise in second-quarter revenue on Wednesday, helped by higher demand... -
Military and NASA Working On Nuclear Spaceships Again
23 July 2024
Ars Technica reports, “The military and NASA seem serious about building demonstration hardware. Phoebus 2A, the most powerful space nuclear reactor ever made, was fired up at Nevada Test Site... -
Vertical Aerospace Begins Ground Testing New Air Taxi Prototype
23 July 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “U.K.-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Vertical Aerospace is back... -
AI Improves NOAA’s GOES-R Weather and Environmental Satellites
22 July 2024
Space News reports, “On June 25, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched the fourth and final satellite of the Geostationary Operational Environmental... -
Eve Air Mobility Unveils First Full-Scale eVTOL Prototype
22 July 2024
Aerotime reports that Eve Air Mobility “has announced the roll-out of a prototype of its first full-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. -
Boeing Closer to Understanding Thruster Failures After Latest Testing
19 July 2024
AP News reports, “Boeing is closer to understanding what went wrong with its astronaut capsule in orbit, now that testing is complete on a spare thruster here on Earth. -
Communication Problems Cause Major US Carriers to Ground Flights
19 July 2024
Reuters reports that top U.S. airlines including Delta, United, and American, issued ground stops on Friday citing communication issues, as a global outage roiled... -
Commander of U.S. Space Command Conveys Confidence in Falcon 9’s Quick Return to Flight
18 July 2024
Space News reports, “The head of U.S. Space Command expressed confidence July 17 that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will soon return to flight... -
Germany’s Lilium Earns Biggest Order Yet for Flying Taxis from Saudi Airline Group
18 July 2024
Reuters reports, “Germany-based air taxi developer Lilium on Thursday clinched its biggest order yet in a deal for Saudi airline Saudia Group to purchase up to 100... -
NASA Rolls Artemis 2 Booster Off Factory Floor In Preparation for 2025 Launch
17 July 2024
SPACE reports, “The core stage of the first rocket to launch astronauts to the moon in over 50 years has left its manufacturing facility, and is bound for vehicle integration... -
US Aviation Industry Asks Congress to Focus On ‘Neglected’ FAA Facilities
17 July 2024
Reuters reports, “Major U.S. aviation groups and unions urged Congress to address persistent shortfalls in funding for FAA facilities after a series of reports raised alarm... -
NASA to Evaluate Astronaut Launch Schedule In Wake of SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Failure
16 July 2024
SPACE reports, “NASA is waiting to see if there will be "schedule impacts" for its next astronaut mission aboard SpaceX after a rocket failure last week, the agency said in a recent statement. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket... -
Beta Electric Aircraft Conducts Two More ‘Real-Time’ Demos
16 July 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “After wrapping up its first test and deployment campaign with the U.S. Air Force in January, electric aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies... -
NASA Europa Clipper Mission Imperiled by Chips on Spacecraft
15 July 2024
The New York Times reports, “NASA said on Thursday that it is studying the durability of transistors on a $5 billion spacecraft to Europa and speeding along toward... -
Boeing Advancing Effort to Use Drones for Aircraft Inspection
15 July 2024
Avionics International reports, “Using small third-party drones for high-resolution imaging and its own artificial intelligence-based software algorithms, Boeing is expanding an effort to speed the inspection of military aircraft... -
SpaceX Falcon 9 Experiences Rare Engine Failure, Loses Starlink Satellites
12 July 2024
Via Satellite reports, “SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suffered an engine failure during a Starlink mission on July 11, losing 20 Starlink satellites and triggering a Federal Aviation... -
Boeing’s 777X Receives FAA Green Light for Certification Flights
12 July 2024
The Seattle Times reports that the FAA has granted Boeing authority to begin flying its new 777X with FAA personnel on board — beginning a series of test flights needed “to win approval for the 777X... -
NASA Astronauts Are Sure That Boeing’s Starliner Will Get Them Home
11 July 2024
The Washington Post reports, “The two NASA astronauts who flew in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station last month said Wednesday that they have no concerns... -
Joby Exceeds Range Target for Hydrogen-Electric Air Tax Demonstrator
11 July 2024
Aviation Week reports, “While it pursues certification of its battery-powered air taxi and prepares to launch commercial service, Joby Aviation already is flying its electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft... -
First Launch of Ariane 6 Considered Partially Successful
10 July 2024
Aviation Week reports, “In a relatively complex mission, the first Ariane 6 medium- to heavy-lift launcher placed payloads into orbit in its debut flight July 9 and partially demonstrated... -
UrbanLink Partners with Skyway Technologies to Launch Caribbean Jet Service
10 July 2024
Flying Magazine reports that Lilium partner UrbanLink Air Mobility “on Tuesday announced a partnership with California-based vertiport developer and operator Skyway Technologies to install eVTOL hubs... -
NASA’s NEOWISE Spacecraft Set to Retire at End of Month
9 July 2024
Flying Magazine reports that NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or NEOWISE, “has taken millions of infrared measurements and studied tens of thousands of asteroids... -
Airbus Delivers 323 Aircraft in First Half
9 July 2024
Reuters reports, “Airbus confirmed on Monday it had delivered 323 airplanes in the first half of the year, up 2% from 316 in the same period of 2023. -
Chinese Spacewalkers Install Space-Junk Shielding on Tiangong Space Station
8 July 2024
SPACE reports, “Two Chinese astronauts continued installing space debris protection outside the nation's Tiangong space station” during a July 3 EVA. -
Air Force Asks for Increased Funding for Drone Wingmen Program
8 July 2024
Breaking Defense reports, “A reprogramming request recently submitted to Capitol Hill by the Pentagon asks for permission to shift an additional $150 million into the Air Force’s... -
NASA Says Boeing’s Starliner Capable of Staying in Space Beyond 45-Day Limit
3 July 2024
SPACE reports, “Boeing's Starliner capsule is performing well enough on its first-ever astronaut mission... -
American Airlines to Purchase ZeroAvia’s Hydrogen-Electric Engines for Regional Jets
3 July 2024
Aviation Week Network reports, “American Airlines has signed a conditional purchase agreement with ZeroAvia for 100 hydrogen-electric engines to power regional... -
Opinion: “Transferring the International Space Station into the Future”
2 July 2024
In an op-ed in Space News, Jean-Jacques Dordain and Michael Griffin suggest that when it's time to retire the ISS, it should be moved to higher orbit, so that it may one day be made useful again....